Trip of a Lifetime

You see, ministry is something much more than just getting the job done. It’s growing deeper in love with the ONE and the ones you are traveling with. When that happens, your ministry will really be a trip of a lifetime.

Trip of a Lifetime

Recently my daughter invited me to go with her and her two sons to Washington D.C. to walk in the 46th annual March for Life. I agreed to go.

While getting ready the evening before, she said to me, “Wow, Dad—trip of a lifetime—you and me going to Washington together—taking the boys.” Her sweet comment instantly removed all dread! Just knowing that someone wants you to come along makes the trip worth all the effort and transforms mere logistics into a meaningful and enjoyable pilgrimage.

This situation reminded me of a time in Moses’ ministry. God said to him about his leadership, “My Presence will go with you and I will give you rest.” Then Moses responded, “If your Presence does not go with us, do not bring us up from here,” (Exodus 33:14,15). Moses knew they were helpless against the enemy and the elements without God.

The early church was exactly the same way. Statements like, “Lo, I am with you always” (Matthew 28:20), “The Lord working with them,” (Mark 16:20), and “Tarry in the city of Jerusalem,” (Luke 24:49) all speak to the idea that the Lord wants to be with us in our ministries and that we most definitely need to be with Him.

Do we ever really stop to think that the Lord likes to be with us? What a price He paid just to be with us now and forever! Do we ever wonder how He feels when we launch our plans and ride off into the sunset, leaving Him in the dust and without really checking His heart about things?

As I reflect on our little trip to Washington, it was delightful because we wanted to be together. How different it would have been if we had ignored each other or only tolerated each other on the journey. Because of the love relationship we had, we actually worked through the logistical glitches together, learned to meet obstacles together, shared little trip treasures together, were amazed together, and grew deeper in love with each other.

You see, ministry is something much more than just getting the job done. It’s growing deeper in love with the ONE and the ones you are traveling with. When that happens, your ministry will really be a trip of a lifetime.

Our building programs, our search committees, our education committees, our missions teams can be much more than fleshly opinion pools where strong personalities “hammer it out.” They can be where Spirit-filled people pray together and wait together in order to see where God goes next. He is what makes it a trip of a lifetime.

Let me encourage every pastor or leader to shepherd their flock in such a way as to allow each one to learn about the ONE with whom they are traveling and enjoy Him. By the way, to travel without Him is not only dangerous and strenuous, it is worthless and fruitless no matter how successful we appear to others.

Lead with Jesus present and in charge. Then you can be like a tour guide simply pointing out to your congregation all of the grace sightings along the way. Now that’s a trip of a lifetime.

About the Author

Joe Humrichous

Joe Humrichous is the executive director of Paradigm One and Bible Prayer Fellowship. The message of the sufficiency of Christ for both the pastor and the local church was birthed during a time of brokenness in his early ministry. Now after 50 years in ministry, Joe is passionate to share this reality as it applies to corporate prayer and church leadership. He recently served as a pastor at First Baptist Church in Covington, Indiana. He and his wife Teresa have 5 children and 13 grandchildren.